This week has been full of new things and people.  We've definitely had some ups and downs too.  We had to make an emergency trip to the LBJ hospital at 2am on Sunday with Levi.  Poor guy woke me and had a fever of 104! I've never seen it so high.  It really scared us when he started shaking and saying that he saw an alligator in his room.  I know the alligator part sounds funny, but I could tell he was being serious and I knew he was probably hallucinating.  I started going into panic mode.  Got him a wash cloth and some tylenol and told Grant to get things together for the hospital. We jumped in the car and sped off.  I just held Levi in my arms for the 20 minute ride.  His breathing was labored and I just didn't know what was happening to his body and I didn't know what kind of an environment we were going to find at the hospital.   We've heard mixed things about LBJ; mostly that it has fallen into disrepair and such.  We pulled up and began the check-in procedure.  The emergency room was dingy, with peeling paint, and chickens wondering about outside the door. Grant was instructed to go to a different office to get a registration card for Levi since he was a new patient.  The lady in charge of the patient cards was asleep behind the desk, so Grant had to wake her up so that we could get the process started for Levi.  Not a great start!!  However, once we got past that, we had a really thorough doctor who did a great job.  She ordered labs, got Levi's fever down, and found out he had an ear infection.  As soon as his fever came down, he switched back to his old self.  We could tell he was better when he tried climbing the walls (literally) next to his hospital bed.  He also thought it was great fun removing the sheets of the bed and singing ABC's to all the nurses who came in to help him.  But before his fever came down, he was lying in the bed and you could tell he was uncomfortable and Grant and I noticed he was trying to do something with his hands.  We realized he was making the "hang loose" sign for us.  When we were in Hawaii Grant taught him that sign and he loves doing it now.  Sure enough, he worked on it and in a hoarse little voice he said "Hang Loose, daddy".  :)

 

So the "up" part of this week has been meeting some great people.  For the most part, the people here are very friendly; they wave and smile when you drive by and they are trusting.  Just the other day we were headed out to find a lady who sells house plants from her home.  There are no addresses on the island, so directions usually go like "OK, you know that yellow laundromat on the corner?  OK, turn right there and you'll see a white house with a blue truck and we are the next house with the ginger plants in front."  :)  Well we were having a hard time finding this lady.  We were talking to her on our cell and she said she would meet us at the laundromat closest to her house.  We met her there and she asked, "Can I just jump in the back of your car and show you how to get to my house?"  OK.  I guess we don't look like serial killers.....but you wouldn't find too many people who'd do that back in the states.

I also met a lady named Mary who heads up the Children's program at the local library.  She actually has been to Chico!  I can't believe it's the second person I've met who lives here and knows little ol' Chico.  Amazing.  Anyway, she told me about a children's playgroup that will be starting in August at the library for Levi's age group.  We are definitely going to do that.  She also told me that they have activities and art projects going on throughout the week.  Levi met a new friend named Tupu (he informed me that his name means "king").  Tupu is five years old and his mom works at the library so he hangs out there quite a bit.  The three of us looked at picture books and he taught us a couple of Samoan words.  Then we all went outside and Levi and Tupu took turns playing on the monkey bars and trying to hang upside down.  Oh by the way, Mary said I would do fine here because I'm "from Chico and Chico is so cool and laid back, kind of like Samoa."  So I got that going for me...

Tonight Grant and I went to Tisa's Barefoot Bar.  Definitely the best business we've been to so far here in Samoa.  We enjoyed a traditional umu.   I'm just going to copy and paste the description of the food below.  I can't even tell you how delicious it was.  Just too good for words.  You eat this food straight off of a table covered with banana leaves--no plates or utensils.  Also, people are fanning you while you eat to keep flies away, but it made me feel like some sort of royalty.....A Samoan princess perhaps?  LOL.  A girl can dream, right?  Also, they are filming a reality show called "Ghost Hunters International" in Samoa right now and the crew was at Tisa's tonight to film.  We had to sign waivers to agree to let them use footage of us on the show.  Candyman (Tisa's sidekick) said the show would probably air in July or August and it's on the SyFy network.  So keep your eyes open.  That reminds me, yesterday I overheard a palagi (non-Samoan) say "this island is spooky as shit".  It just made me laugh. 

Here's a description of the Umu at Tisa's

When all of the food is ready, and the rocks are hot, the umu is built. The hot rocks are leveled in the shape of a circle, with the larger rocks sorted to the outside. The rocks are dusted off (to remove most of the ash), and then covered with a layer of mango leaves. For extra moisture (our secret), fresh banana trunks are shredded and laid on top of the mango leaves (banana trunks are very high in water content). All meats are then laid down, followed by taros, cooking bananas and breadfruits. The larger rocks previously sorted to the outside and then place on top of the food. The palusami and fai ai pilikaki (fresh fish casserole in coconut shells) are placed on top of the top rocks, along with fresh squash or pumpkin, and fresh papaya with cinnamon. Layers of banana leaves and tamu leaves are then place over the entire umu to seal in the heat and steam. Cooking time is about 2 to 3 hours.